REWRITE: An Angel's Lost Memory
by Reaper-of-Lost-Souls
Summary: sequel to 'Stuck in the Future'; Young Roman girl goes back to her mother's homeland, Egypt, to discover where she belongs. will she be able to find her only friends when a great war against good and evil is on its way? RATING WILL GO UP OC x YGO pairings
1. Roman Slaves

Yu-Gi-Oh! ©Kazuki Takahashi

OCs:

Others © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: This is the second part of my fanfic story of Yugioh. I've decided that my thoughts move back and forth, and the stories are pretty much different. If you have any comments and ideas, go ahead and ask! I hope you enjoy!**

**Roman Slaves**

An appealing young woman walked down the main streets of Rome, the biggest and busiest place in the world today. Luckily for her, she was among the few that are actually Roman citizens. For many others, they were either here to sell and trade their merchandise or were being sold in the local streets. Her business in the main square was to buy some supplies. Throwing a few as, sestertius, denarius, and the occasional aureus when a merchant wouldn't bring down his price low enough. As she walked home, she noticed she only had a few denarii left.

She heard a cry coming from her left. She walked down the narrow passage and into a slave market. _'Oh great! Wasn't planning on walking into the market… but maybe someone here will interest my eye.' _She stood clear in the back, watching the seller sell off the slaves. She noticed a little boy in the back, shivering in fear. He skin was darker than most of them and his clothes told her that he came from a more southern place.

"I have a little boy here! Young, but can be easily trained! Came from an exotic place down south. Very rare. I'll start the bidding at 15."

"20"

"25"

"30…"

"Come on people! This boy could be a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

"… 35…"

"45…"

The slave seller sighed, "45 it is." He threw the kid at his buyer. "You take him…" he shivered, slightly unsure by how the man hid his face with his black cloak and stared at him with bottomless blue eyes. He took him by the hand and pulled him away.

The boy began to whimper and cry. "Stop crying," the man growled.

He sniffled, "I'm sorry… sir."

They went past the market and came into a clearing. The man whistled and a horse rode up. The boy shivered in fright. The boy saw a menacing pure-black horse, the man had a black cloak on, and he couldn't see who his master was. The man knelt down to the boy and grabbed his tied hands. He flinched away.

He took a knife out of his pocket and the boy began to cry, "Please don't kill me! Pleas -" He looked down and the rope that had been tied around his hands was thrown on the ground. He looked up and he saw his owner. She had dark purple hair and poised blue eyes.

"Don't assume I'm going to kill you, kid."

He whimpered, "I'm sorry… mistress."

"Well, you're safe from trouble now… that is, if you want to come and work for me."

He looked up, scared about what may happen to him, but he is now a slave and he has to obey his master– mistress's orders, "Yes, mistress."

"Yes what?" she looked at him, her stare piercing his own.

"Yes,… umm… I'll come with you?"

She smiled. She took the boy by the hips and put him on the horse. Then she climbed on, behind him, and road off down the Via Appia.

**Roman Slaves**

After a few long hours of riding, she led him to an aristocrat's house. There seemed to be a good plot of land, the land used to grow mostly grapes and other fruits, some livestock, and had a fairly big house. He gasped. Compared to where he lived, this place was a palace.

A young man, about a year younger than the mistress, came running out, bowing. "Welcome home, Mistress," he said, talking hold of the reins.

She rolled her eyes, jumping down from the horse and helping the boy down. "I thought I told you not to call me that," she frowned.

He smirked, "Well, sorry for being proper. Should I call you Lord of the Universe for short?"

He laughed as she shoved him, playfully. "Malik, knock it off!" She giggled as he grabbed her waist and held her hands behind her back. Her black cloak had fallen off of her face, revealing a charming young woman underneath.

The boy took a nervous step back. Malik looked at him, as he held her in his arms. "You seem to be frightening the kid."

She pushed him away. "Yah, it's **my** fault," she smiled.

"So, why did you buy the kid? You're going to be leaving tomorrow!"

"Yah… well I thought he could be… useful," she timidly responded.

Malik crossed his arms, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

She shrugged, "No." Then she knelt down, so she was eyelevel with the boy, "So, kid, what's your name?"

"K-kontar."

"Kontar," Malik thought, "That's Egyptian, isn't it?" Kontar nodded. "So that's your game," Malik looked over at her.

She shrugged, "Well, I figured he was an Egyptian." She grabbed her gear from her horse and began to walk into the house, "but let's not talk about why I bought him. Let's learn a bit more about Kontar, ok?"

Kontar stood there, frozen stiff. "Umm, kid, she's talking to you," Malik nudged him.

He looked down, "Oh, sorry mistress."

She rolled her eyes, "Malik, show him the ropes. We can talk _**after**_ I get my stuff in order."

"Yes Amaya," he smiled, as she walked into the house.

**Roman Slaves**

"Hello Malik," an old man said, coming into the main room. "And who's the kid?"

"Kontar, father," Malik answered. He was sitting on one of the couches sprawled out, eating some grapes and cheese with a cup of wine. Kontar was sitting on the couch next to him; his legged crossed on the ground, unsure what he should be doing. "Amaya got him."

The old man chuckled, "Oh that Amaya, just like her father… Did you do dinner?"

Malik lowered his voice, "Yes, of course I did. Go ahead and get some. Amaya is just taking her time packing."

"For herself?" he responded, looking at Kontar when he did.

"Probably not," he chuckled to himself. "That girl. She's always thinking about others, isn't she?"

"Well, tell Amaya I'll see her tomorrow, when she leaves," and he walked out of the room.

"Y-your father?" Kontar politely asked.

"Yep. Canus Ishtar. He… was the father of Amaya's servant."

Kontar looked at Malik confused. "Wait, I thought Amaya told us that she doesn't own us. So why do you two stay?"

Malik smiled, "Her family has been so good to mine. When my father was being sold in Rome, he was about your age. Her father bought him, who was the same age as him. After that, they hit it off. He kept telling my father to leave, but he never did." He took a sip of the wine and let out a sigh, "He told me it was because Amaya's father treated him like an equal. When he went as an advisor, he brought my father along; when he got a wife, he let my father could get one also. He was so nice to our family that my father never thought of leaving. So we never have."

"… so where are you from?"

"Well I'm from here," Malik shrugged. "I was born in Italy, but I'm still considered a slave. Amaya has told me that I'm a freeman, but I'm going to stick by her as my father did with hers. My father came from Greece, until he was stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up on a slave ship; and my mother… an Egyptian. That's why my skin is tan."

"And… what about Mistress Amaya?" Kontar asked.

"How about you ask her yourself?" said a voice from behind.

Amaya set her stuff on a table and laid down on a couch, next to where Kontar was sitting. "Hey Amaya, took you long enough," Malik smirked, "and my father says he'll see you off tomorrow."

"Ok," she said, eating some of the cheese and grapes. "How is your father doing?"

"He's doing fine," Malik began, "It's nice that you're giving us your house."

"Well, I don't plan on coming back." Amaya shrugged, "and after the raid, things have just been falling apart. So… are you staying with your father?"

Malik let out a frustrated sigh, "I'm going to have to. He won't let me leave yet."

She smiled, "Well Kontar, what was that you were asking me?"

"Umm… Mistress –"

"Malik, I thought you told him to not give me _**any**_ titles, _just_ Amaya."

He shrugged, "I tired, but he insists."

Amaya chuckled, looking over at Kontar. He looked down, not wanting to look at her in the face. "Kontar, you don't have to formal. From what I heard from Malik, he has already told you that he's a freeman. Well, that's the same for you. You're free to go whenever you want to."

Kontar looked up. Tears were filling up in his eyes. "B-but, I have nowhere to go! I was living in Egypt, but a group of men captured me and chained me. I-I was worried I was going to… I just want to go home!" he began to cry.

Amaya got up, walked to Kontar, and lightly hugged him. "It's ok… it's ok…"

Malik looked at them, took a sip of wine, and then smiled. "It's ok kid. We're all friends here. I bet you can't believe this, but Amaya here is going to help you get home."

Kontar lit up, looking at Amaya in the eyes. "Really?"

"Really," she smiled. "Now, get some nourishment before you go. We'll be leaving in the morning."

Kontar smiled, wiping his tears away as Amaya put a plate of food on his lap. He began to eat the food as fast as he could. Malik and Amaya looked at each other. Amaya looked with a sheepish smile, while Malik smirked. "So," Kontar was able to say while he stuffed his face, "what's your family story?... Amaya?"

"Mine?" Amaya as she sat down, looking unsurely at Malik. He lifted a hand and shooed her along. "Well, to begin my family had moved here from Troy. My father's ancestors made the voyage from Troy to Italy. My family has never tried to be superior to anyone, so we've kept low. The highest job we'll get is advisor… Well my father was Malleolus Hebitsukai. He was a born Roman, coming from his father, and down to him, to me. He is called to be one of the greatest Roman soldiers… but he was always gone. The person how taught me most was my mom, but my father did teach me things… like how to survive on my own. He also put me in classes with the other Roman boys, because he wanted me to go up as strong as he was… Anyways, my mother's name was Amisi Lucedio. She had come from Egypt. She… was actually a servant at the Pharaoh's palace."

Kontar's eyes lit up, "Really?"

Amaya nodded. "I think to the latest Pharaoh too…"

Kontar looked down, "Wow… that's so cool." Then he looked back up, "So what happened with them?"

Amaya let out a dream felt sigh, "Well, according to my mom, they met at the Pharaoh's palace. He was there as an advisor from Rome for Egypt. He had to come to talk with the Pharaoh. While he was there, they fell in love… it was like love at first sight. But, she was in the hands of one of the priests. So… they ran off together… I don't think anyone there knows where she went still," she smirked to herself. "So then she came back with him to Italy… and this is where they've lived."

"… where are they now?"

Amaya looked down, and then out away from the group. "… this is my estate now. Everything my father had goes to me."

Kontar looked over at Malik with a concerned look. He just shook his head, telling him not to talk about it.

Then Amaya jumped up, "Well, we'd better get out sleep! Malik, see to it that Kontar has a place to sleep. Have him ready to go before the sun rises."

**Roman Slaves**

**A/N:**

**Roman Currency: aureus – gold, denarius – silver, sestertius – bronze, as - copper**

**Malik – Marik Ishtar from Yugioh. That just makes things easier when he turns bad… =D **

**BTW: same with the first story, except I'm interested in writing this one =D so, maybe post things faster on this story? we'll have to see!**

**I think that's it. Between the first one and the second stories, it just sort of depends on my mood. ^^ If you have questions don't be afraid to ask!**


	2. Beginning a Long Journey

Yu-Gi-Oh! ©Kazuki Takahashi

OCs:

Others © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: I got sick of waiting for my friend to correct my stories, so I'm posting Chapter 2! =3 I'm now on Chapter 9, but I want to get as _far _as I can before I start posting more. ENJOY! =D**

**Beginning a Long Journey**

Kontar stood outside with Malik in the cold. The sun hadn't come up yet and the cool breeze still blew against his face. The gear Amaya packed was very small. Kontar was given a little pack that he wore around his shoulder. It held a few supplies: extra food, clothes, and tools. He also was given a little knife that Malik made him wear in a little leather pouch that was tied around his leg. It was a basic knife, which Amaya had bought a few days for the trip. Amaya's gear was more than Kontar's. Since she wasn't even planning on bringing him, she had a few cut backs. She had a satchel on her shoulder, which was made from a wolf that she had killed when she was younger. There were two items hanging off of it: a white eagle feather and a blue scarab. Inside there was: extra food, money (in both Roman and Egyptian), and some weapon and tools if needed.

When Amaya walked out of the house, the sun was barely up. "Is Uncle Canus coming out?" she asked, walking over to her horse and petting him on the head.

Malik shrugged, "He will. He wants to give you something before you go."

Amaya nodded in agreement and gathered her gear. Kontar stared up at her. Instead of wearing Roman clothing, she was wearing a cloth over her body, like he was. She had a piece of rope tied around her waist and the only piece of jewelry she had was a golden looking locket around her neck, which had an imprint of a pair of wings, if looked at closely. She had her black cloak tied around her body to hide her face. Then Kontar frowned. Her hair had been colored black, instead of keeping it purple. Even though black hair was normal in Egypt, he liked how her hair was an exquisite shade of purple. She also had cloth tied around her right shoulder, which was hiding something on her skin.

They looked over, seeing Canus walking out of the house. He walked slowly, sort of limping as he walked. He looked like an older version of Malik, except that his skin was lighter and he had a gray beard. "Amaya Hebitsukai, come hither."

Amaya nodded, putting her satchel down and walking over to him. "Yes, Uncle?"

"I-I am _so_ happy that y-you've given our family your p-property here," he smiled.

"You're welcome," she smiled. "So… ummm, is this good-bye?"

He shook his head no, "I would say n-no. We still have something to do… once you've completed your m-mission at Egypt."

Amaya frowned, looking away. "Do I _have_ to go through with that… _**ritual**_?"

Canus nodded, "Y-your father and a-ancestors have, so now **you** must go through with it."

Amaya looked over at Malik and he shrugged. "Come on, father. We'd better get them off."

Canus walked closer to Amaya, took her hands, and gave her his gift. "T-his was g-given to me by your father w-hen we were teenagers. He t-told me that this will protect you from t-hose temptations of the heart, a-also helping your with o-on-coming drunks," he smirked, "S-since your father promised me to k-keep you pure till your marriage, k-keep hold of this on your j-ourney."

Amaya looked down at her gift. It was a bracelet, made out of purple amethyst. "Amethyst is associated with Bacchus, correct?"

"Yes, D-dionysus."

Amaya smiled, "Thank you Uncle Canus," and she pulled him into a hug. He patted her on the back. She took the bracelet and took off her shoe, putting it around her ankle. "Hopefully, Dionysus will be able to keep me safe from down there," she laughed.

Canus smiled. They looked over at Malik, who was helping Kontar onto the black horse. "Y-you had better get going. A-pollo will be showing h-himself."

Amaya gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and then ran over to her horse, taking off towards the ocean. Malik walked over to his father, letting out a weary sigh. "Should I go after her?"

"Not yet, my son," Canus told him, "Master told us to not go after her till her mission from the gods was completed."

"I thought Amaya told us to not call her that," he raised an eyebrow.

Canus chuckled, "Yes she did… just like her father," he smiled.

**Beginning a Long Journey**

A duo stood closely together, walking off of the boat and onto sandy soil. The older grabbed the younger's hand and pulled him along; quickly through the streets of merchants and out into the open.

Amaya let in a satisfied sigh, letting in the foreign dust. "So, Kontar, the rest of this journey is up to you. Where should we go?"

"M-me?" Kontar questioned, "W-hy… h-ow… what do you mean by that?"

"Well kid," Amaya smirked, crossing her arms under her cloak, "The only way for me to bring you back home is for you to tell me where it is… I haven't been here..." She coughed, "In a while, that is."

Kontar looked down, and then he smiled from cheek to cheek. "Ok!" he said, perking up. "Well, it seems that we're in Upper Egypt… so its 130 miles going south?"

Amaya smiled, "What's the town?"

"Memphis," Kontar said, "W-where the Pharaoh lives."

Amaya nodded, "Ok, I know where you're talking about." She let out a whistle and a black horse rode up. They walked over to it and Amaya brushed his nose. "This is my horse, Thunder."

Kontar blinked for a second, "W-wait… isn't that the horse from Rome?"

"Well come on, let's not dilly-dally," she said, picking Kontar up and putting him in the front as she got on the back of the horse. They began riding off into the desert.

'_W-what is this?... what's Mistress Amaya not telling me…'_ Kontar frowned.

**Beginning a Long Journey**

After a few days they made it to Memphis, with a little help from naive vendors. Amaya rode up behind a group, which was now entering the gates. They got off of the horse and Amaya gave it a kiss. "Ok Thunder, don't get into trouble." The horse neighed and took off, leaving the city.

Kontar looked out, confused.

He followed Amaya up to the gates, when a guard stopped them. "Halt! Who are you?"

Amaya took out her pass and the man took it. "I am Layla Masika, an Egyptian. I'm just visiting the great city."

"And what about the pipsqueak," he said, pointing to the kid.

Amaya chuckled, "This is my servant boy."

He laughed, "Ok lady, you two can go," and he gave back her pass.

The two of them quickly walked into the city, Kontar looking up at Amaya. "T-that's not your name… is it?"

Amaya shrugged, "Well… it's _sort of_ my name," she grinned. Then she coughed, "So, where do you live around here?"

Kontar beamed, grabbing Amaya's hand and showed her, pushing through the crowded streets. They came to a shack, on the far end of the city and near the Nile. Kontar stopped at the door, brushed his shoes on a pad in front of the door, and opened it. "M-mother?" he said. There was no answer. He ran out of the house, calling out into the air, "Mother?... Father?... Mother?"

Amaya sighed and peeked into the house, "Is everything ok?" Then she stood tall, walking into the house. The place seemed to have been searched, from head to toe. Their furniture was flipped over, the beds unmade. It looked like a struggle. She walked out, looking out. "Kontar?"

She walked a ways, down the Nile, till Amaya spotted him talking to another boy his age. "Amaya!" Kontar cried, grabbing her waist and burying his face into her garb.

"K-kontar! What's wrong?" Amaya frowned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, trying to comfort him.

"H-his parents…" said the other boy.

Amaya looked over at him as Kontar lifted his head. He sniffled, brushing his eyes. "Ummm… Amaya this is Donkor. He's my best friend here."

"Hello," Amaya smiled, shaking his hand. "So, Donkor, what happened to Kontar's parents?"

"Ummm… you see ma'am…" Donkor began; shy because of this new presence before him. "His father… was a craftsman for the Pharaoh's soldiers. Well… he badmouthed a soldier and a fight broke out… when he went home that night, the group of soldiers came to his house and took him and his wife away... he was killed a week later."

Kontar sobbed, "W-why?..."

"So what happened to his mother," she asked.

"Don't tattle that it was me," he said in a whisper, "but I heard that she's still in the palace… probably locked up."

Kontar looked up, "So… she could be alive?"

Donkor nod. Amaya let out a sigh, "Well… I guess I have more **work** cut out for me," she frowned.

Kontar shook his head, "Y-you don't have to do anything Amaya… It's like you said, I'm free now."

"Yes." She let out an annoyed sigh, "But I can't leave you here without your mother… even if she's imprisoned…"

"But… we won't have a place to stay –"

"Well I do!" Donkor smirked, pointing to himself. "You can come and stay with us, Kontar! My folks shouldn't mind."

Kontar looked up at Amaya, "I-is that all right with you?" She nodded, tugging on her saddle strap.

Donkor smiled, shoving Kontar and walking with him into the city. "So Kontar, what do you mean by _I'm free_?"

**Beginning a Long Journey**

They walked into a complex. There was a tavern on the bottom floor and two more stories of rooms, their inn. It seemed that Donkor's family owned the building, so it seemed ok for Amaya to be staying here. Besides, she shouldn't be staying long.

Amaya was starting to feel a bit nervous. There were nasty stares coming from the occupants; probably from the fact that she had her hood over her head and no one could tell who she was.

Donkor jumped onto a bar stool, looking over the counter. "Hey! Is mom around?"

"Ummm… yes she is," said the man behind the counter, "She's upstairs."

Donkor thanked him, then led Kontar and Amaya up the stairs to the second story. They walked to the end of the hallway, before Donkor turned a door knob and walked in. Amaya looked inside. It was a small place, just enough for 5 family members. A mother sat in a rocking chair, rocking toddlers to sleep. "Kontar, is that you?" She gasped, standing up and putting the twins in a cradle. "We thought you were dead."

"Well…" Kontar began nervously, "The guards didn't kill me. They were **going** to, but then they found slave merchants and figured they could get paid a pretty sestertius for me… but… it was before I found out that my…" he began to choke up.

"And who is this young lady?" she asked.

"Ummm, I'm Amaya Hebitsukai," she said with a bow.

"Oh dear," she giggled, "You don't have to be proper to us. We're just simple folk. No need for etiquette."

Amaya smiled. "This is my mistress," Kontar introduced.

"Just call me Amaya though," she whispered.

"So… you own Kontar now?" she asked.

Amaya shook her head, "Well, no. I let him go. I'm just here to make sure he gets back to his home."

She smiled, "That's so sweet! Not a lot of people would do this for a person."

"Well, I guess I'm not a normal person then," she shrugged.

"Mother," Donkor interrupted, "Can they stay in one of our rooms? Kontar doesn't have a place to stay and Amaya needs to stay in our town for a while."

"Well… I don't see why not," she shrugged.

"Should I pay for your service?" Amaya asked.

"Oh no! Don't have to do that. It's on the house," she winked. "Donkor, give them the room on the other end of the hallway. It should be empty."

Donkor nodded, taking a key from a table and showing Kontar and Amaya to the room. "Hey Kontar, want to stay with me?"

Kontar looked up at Amaya. "Go for it," she sighed, walking into the room. Donkor handed her the keys.

**Beginning a Long Journey**

Amaya was helping Donkor's mother in their kitchen, when Kontar and Donkor came walking in. "Good thing you came in," his mother began, "Dinner is almost ready."

"Is father back?"

"Ummm he's still helping construction on one of the pharaoh's buildings."

Donkor looked down, "Ok," he frowned.

They set the table and sat to eat. Amaya was eating her food rather quickly. "A-amaya, are you ok?" Kontar asked.

"Yes," she said, between her bites. "I'm going after your mother tonight."

"Tonight!" Kontar yelped. "W-why tonight? Why not tomorrow?"

"I have to do it tonight," she simply said, "There's still things I have to do here."

Kontar frowned, "… j-just be careful."

Amaya smiled with a nod, "I will."

**Beginning a Long Journey**

**A/N: Don't worry! The other yugioh characters will be showing up soon! =D**


	3. Unexpected Encounter

Yu-Gi-Oh! ©Kazuki Takahashi

OCs:

Others © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: YAH! my friend went through my work... so HOPEFULLY things _will _make better sense... I hope ^^;**

**I'm hoping that I'll get other OCs from other people… soon ^^ Enjoy!**

**Unexpected Encounter**

Amaya leaped over a wall, jumping into the garden of the Pharaoh's Palace. She quickly walked around, staying hidden in the shadows. _'The quicker I can get Kontar's mother back the quicker I can get back to my mission, finding my family's book!'_ she frowned,_ 'Well, I probably won't be able to find it __**here**__. There's no way they're the people who robbed my house.' _Then she came to the servants' quarters, which had no guards guarding the entrance. She smirked, _'Perfect.'_

She quickly walked in, being careful to not make any sounds. The quarters were big, with many rooms, but there were slaves sleeping everywhere. They lived on the lower half of the building, as big as 10 standard houses! She sneered, _'Of course that Pharaoh would do these things to people. I bet none of them have really seen how much corruption this guy is doing… Not that I would know,' _she shrugged.

She found a flight of stairs and quickly walked up. She walked around, _'Gods it's hard to find your place around here. It's too big!'_ she grumbled. Then she saw a light coming down the hall and she quickly hid in the shadows.

"Sire, why must you be out at night? It's nearly midnight," asked the servant, wary with the order.

"I have to make sure that our… _guest_ is happy with his new stay," the priest smirked. "Come."

"Yes Priest Aknadin," the servant said willingly.

They walked over to a door, opened it, and began walking down a flight of stairs. _'That must be where they're keeping the convicts,' _she thought to herself. Before the door closed, she stopped it with her foot. She opened it and walked down the stairs, keeping a distance from the two men.

**Unexpected Encounter**

Once she got to the bottom of the stairs, she looked around. The prison had so many corridors, like a labyrinth. She figured it was her best bet to stick close to that priest. Amaya wandered the maze, keeping a hallway away from them. Then they stopped in front of a man on a chair, asleep. The priest growled, "Bailiff I thought you would be up; not asleep in your chair!"

The loud noise startled him, waking him up. "Sorry sir," he said, rubbing his head, "I just thought I could get a little bit of sleep."

He grumbled to himself, pinching his nose with his hand and closing his eyes. "Night is the best time for a thief to come by and try to free him. If they did that, we wouldn't have him around to show to the Pharaoh tomorrow, would we?"

He let out a sigh, "I guess not."

"Now… show me to his cell."

The bailiff got up and walked down the halls. _'A bit far away to be watching such an important prisoner,'_Amaya smirked to herself. Then they came to a cell. She stopped and looked at them from behind the stone wall.

The priest looked into the cell. "Not so sneaky now, are you grave robber?" he chuckled.

Only a low grumble came from the cell, too low for Amaya to hear. But whatever he said, it ticked off the priest. "You listen to me, you little thief. You're not one to talk behind that cell. You may have been the best, but nothing of you will remain after you're shown to the Pharaoh." Then he turned around in a huff. "You, bailiff, keep watch over that prisoner," and he walked away with his servant.

'_Oh no, they're coming towards me!'_Amaya gasped. She ran as fast as she could, finding a hiding place behind a pillar. She hid in the shadows, watching them walk by her.

After she heard the door slam, the bailiff said, "I don't see **why** they care. There are more of you, so why bother?" Then he walked past her, heading back to his chair to fall back asleep.

She let out a sigh, leaving the shadows and running down the hallway. "Tahirah," she whispered into the cells. "Tahirah! Are you here?"

"Here," said a woman's voice from a cell.

Amaya ran over, looking into the cell._'Looks like Kontar's description of her.' _"Are you Kontar's mother?"

"Kontar. My little Kontar! He's alive!" she closed her mouth, fearful that the bailiff would come by again. Then she whispered, "How do you know Kontar?"

"I know him because," Amaya thought for a minute, "Well… you can say we're friends. Now," she began sternly, "I have to get you out of here, so stand back."

She took out a thin wire, twisting it into the keyhole. In a few seconds, the door opened. The woman jumped up and grabbed Amaya in a hug. "Thank you!" She began to cry, "I-I thought I would never see my Kontar again…"

"Ok," Amaya said, trying to calm her down. "But, we're not out yet. Let's go!"

"W-wait!" Tahirah gasped.

Amaya frowned, turning back around, "What now?"

"C-could you free someone else?"

"Why," she shrugged.

"Because." She began to pled, "He… told me that he would free me when his men came to get him… Now that I'm free, I **must** do the same thing for him."

Amaya let out a sigh, "Fine, but if this guy makes trouble I'm not helping you," she frowned. "Now, where is he?"

She pointed to the cell next to her. _'That's the guy that priest was talking to,'_ her eyes went wide. She walked over to the cell, viewing in. "Hello there," she decided to say.

The man turned around, leering purple eyes staring at her from the shadows. "What?" he sneered.

"Tahirah wants me to release you… but if you don't want it, I can just leave," she smirked.

He stood up, walking out of the shadows to the bars and into the moonlight. Amaya could now see him fully. He had unusual white hair, but why was she complaining? Her real hair is purple. He was obviously Egyptian by his skin tone. To Amaya's relief, he wore a blue miniskirt around his waist. Any other clothes he had must have been taken from him when he was thrown into jail. Also he was about the same age as her, to her amusement. What slightly alarmed her was a painful looking scar on the right side of his face, slashed over his eye with two slashes horizontally placed on top of the main scar. They looked old, but it also looked like it was going to stay on his face forever. He stared down at her with an eerie smirk, waiting for her to flinch.

Amaya just crossed her arms, "Well… I don't have all day."

He frowned, "Yes, help me out."

She took the wire out of her pocket and wiggled it through the keyhole, opening the door as quickly as she did with Tahirah's door. Then she noticed that he was chained to the wall. She frowned, walking over to his chains and unlocking them. He just stared at her, making Amaya a bit nervous. "Ok, we only have one guard to get by on our way out… but I don't know how we will get out of this maze," she frowned.

"I guess it's up to me," the man smirked, puffing up his chest.

"Oh really," she said, crossing her arms, "And how will you do that?"

He began walking down the hallway, with the women following behind him. "I memorized the turns we took when they brought me down here. It shouldn't be _too_ hard to get out," he grinned.

"Men," she rolled her eyes.

**Unexpected Encounter**

As they walked through the palace, something caught Amaya's eyes. _'They have a library?'_ she gasped. She looked over at the other two, "Umm… could you two go ahead? I… need to do something," she said, peeking into the room.

The man rolled his eyes, "Whatever lady. You can meet up with us later." Tahirah looked at Amaya, but then followed the man down the hall.

Amaya quietly opened the door, unsure if someone could be in there. She walked through the library, which was crowded with books. Then she stopped.

Her heart seemed to be beating out of her chest. There sat a book on a desk, up on a pedestal. It was a brown thick book, with gold on its leather. There was an eye on the cover and designs of weapons on the sides. It was locked by a gold brace, which was recently sliced open.

"It's here…"

Her hands began to tremble as they got closer to the book. Her locket and the eye on the book were glowing entwine. She held her breath. Just as she was about to grab the book the door opened.

Quickly she hid behind a stack of books, praying to the gods that she wouldn't get caught. A priest came in, holding a candle. The room lit up with the presence of that flame. The priest sat down at the desk, opening the book. He began to read it, using a scroll to decipher it. She felt a twinge of hate growing in her chest. _'How could they? Take __**my**__ book… It's rightfully mine!'_But, she knew these feelings were wrong to have. Amaya closed her eyes, grasping her locket.

They were like that for a few moments: Amaya stood there, as if she was in a trance, and the priest sat there, sternly reading the book. Then the door was shoved open. "A prisoner has escaped!" Then the priest stood up, running out of the room.

Amaya moved, "Oh no…" and she ran out of the door.

**Unexpected Encounter**

Tahirah looked up. The palace was beginning to erupt in commotion.

"A prisoner has escaped!"

"Wake up the Pharaoh!"

"Begin searching!"

"Whoever finds the prisoner will be rewarded tenfold!"

She turned around and Amaya was standing next to her. "You're back!"

"And in time too," Amaya said, looking over at the thief. "So… how are we going to escape?"

He shrugged, "Well… we could take the horses."

Amaya smirked. "Then I have an idea."

They rushed over to the servants'' quarters, which had part of the wall taken out. It led to the Nile, which led into the desert. Then Amaya whistled and Thunder appeared. "Take this horse and escape," she said, directed to the thief.

He jumped onto the horse, taking the reins, "Are you sure?" He wasn't expecting this. "What will you two do?"

"We will escape into the city," Amaya told him, "but I figured you came from somewhere else, so go to it!" she moved her hands in a shooing motion.

He smirked, "So what should I do with the horse?"

"Just… let him loose!"

"You know, you're a pretty good thief. How about joining my gang of thieves?"

Amaya thought, "Well, maybe next time," she smirked. Then she shooed them again, "Now get!"

He grinned and took off into the desert. As soon as he was far enough away that he couldn't see them, Amaya grabbed Tahirah's hand. "W-what are you doing?"

"We're escaping," she smirked. "Now close your eyes."

Tahirah closed her eyes.

"Now open them."

She opened her eyes and they were on the outskirts of town. Her mouth dropped, "H-how…"

"Don't ask," she said simply. "Now come this way," and Amaya pulled her into the empty streets of the market place.

**Unexpected Encounter**

They walked into the tavern, where Kontar was waiting. "Mother!" he cried, grabbing his mother in an embrace. "My Kontar!" she hugged him back. They stayed like that for a while, then they let go.

"Amaya, thank you," Kontar said, running up and hugging Amaya.

She smiled, "But Kontar, I have to get going now."

He frowned, "W-why… you can stay with us!"

She chuckled, "You know I have a home… but there's something I want to give you." Amaya smiled, taking a blue scarab out of her pocket.

"I-is that for me?" Kontar asked.

Amaya nodded, putting it into his hands. "It's a magical scarab. It will help you when you need help. See the inscription on the back."

"By the power of Anubis, this amulet will shield you from harm," he read aloud. "Oh… thank you," he said, hugging her again.

Then Amaya looked up quickly, something disturbing her. "Ummm, I have to get going now." She pushed him away.

"A-Amaya!" Kontar cried as she ran out the door. "Don't!... leave me…" and his mother wrapped her arms around her son, hugging him tightly.

**Unexpected Encounter**

The escaped convict jumped off the horse, landing on hardened sand. He looked around, seeing only one guard. The guard looked up, and then gasped. "Hey everyone, he's back!" he yelled behind him.

It seemed to be an oasis in the sand. Thieves have been let in to keep their loot and have a place to live. The reason the Pharaoh hasn't been able to find this Oasis of Thieves is because the place is surrounded by miles of desert with harsh sandstorms blowing around them all the time. It's in the cruelest place in the desert. There was an enormous pile of rocks that the theives' tents circled around. In the rocks is a cave where they dine and talk. There are also a few rooms there, but enough space if a sandstorm hits they can wait it out. Farther in, next to the kitchen, there is a door, and through that door is their water source, a giant waterfall that mysteriously came out of the rocks. The water made a pool of water that disappeared into the sand, which creates a nice little lake to bathe in, wash clothes, and many other things. The water is hidden away in the rocks, creating perfect privacy for anyone to enjoy. How anyone could find that source of water is still up for debate among the residents that live there.

A group of thieves ran over to him, congratulating him on escaping. Even a few women came out to meet him.

"Great Job!"

"We've been so worried!"

"Hah! I saw them take you from the streets, but I never thought you'd be back!"

"No one can hold the King of Thieves!"

He smirked, letting the horse run off into the desert. "Yes, now everyone go back to sleep. We'll celebrate in the morning!"

Everyone cheered, returning to their housing.

He walked to the cave, deep in thought. _'That girl… who was she? Why would she go to all the trouble to help convicts? She's not a bad thief, with the right training. And… such a hot ass,' _he smirked.

**Unexpected Encounter**

**A/N: Now guess who that was XD That's right, Bakura has showed up! And two others have too… but you'll have to wait and see who the mysterious priest in the library is. **


	4. Rite of the Celestial Soul

Yu-Gi-Oh! ©Kazuki Takahashi

OCs:

Others © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: WOOHOO GUYS! Another chapter is out =3 I'm having a lot of fun writing this and I hope you guys will comment on how you think of the story. Right now, I'm working on Chapter 10 and the process of 11. Will figure out where I'll cut it off so the chapters are shorter (so I'm condensing and making a chapter 12 out of the two X3) So a quickly update. HOPE YOU GUYS LOVE IT! =D**

**Rite of the Celestial Soul **

Amaya ran as fast as she could into the desert. Her locket kept telling her to run and she followed it without question. She stopped, looking out into the sand. _'I know you're here,'_ she said in her head.

Suddenly a giant demon jumped from the sand, striking at her with a giant golden staff, which was clothed in black and covered in dark armor. It looked to be a Ka turned bad by evil forces. The dark aroma coming from it was enough to overwhelm any living soul. The demon held out its staff at Amaya and she noticed the red gem on it, an evil worm was swimming inside of it.

"I see why I'm here," she said, jumping away as it swiped at her again. "Your Ba's possessed."

The staff fell onto the sand creating a sandstorm, engulfing Amaya in its daze. Amaya put out her hand, a black glow coming from her hands, and stopped the sand from piling upon her. She put out her hand and her locket glowed. A sword appeared in her hand: a hilt made of gold and engraved with a serpent and a dragon circling the hilt, with a sapphire on the bottom of the hilt, and a long blade radiant with Amaya's glow. She jumped away from the demon before it struck again, jumped up into the air, and slashed at the beast. It fell with a crash, the sand moving from underneath it.

Amaya landed on her feet, looking at her surroundings. 'Now…' "Where did you come from?"

She looked over and saw a little girl lying on the ground, clutching her side. Amaya ran over to her, picking her up by the arm. "So it's been you! Why?"

Tears began streaming down her face. She wasn't giving answers. Amaya grumbled, "Who sent you?"

"P-pravlevis."

Then the beast rose again, filled with fury. The girl kept whining with the pain in her chest. Amaya growled, clutching her sword hard. "How… could you do that to a little girl?..." She rose up, the girl clenching her side and unable to move from the pain. Amaya growled, looking up at the beast. Her eyes had changed from blue to dark red.

She yelled, running at the beast. The demon attacked her again, but to no avail. Amaya lashed at the beast, tearing it down so it fell back to the ground unable to move.

Then she ran back to the girl, who was laying on the ground in pain. The girl looked up, looking into Amaya's eyes. She stopped trembling. Her eyes were filled with a mother's love and a numbing calmness you can only get from the blue Mediterranean sea. Amaya held out her hand to her chest, her hand glowing in a white light. The girl closed her eyes, feeling stunning sensation.

"Is that better?" Amaya said, her hands by her side.

The girl looked up, as if waking from a dream, and nodded, "T-thank… you…" Amaya pulled her to her feet, looking over at the beast. It was still moving towards them. The girl grabbed her clothes, crying in fear, "W-what is that?"

"_Was_your Ka," she said simply. Amaya let go of the girl and ran to the side. She grabbed a tree branch and rammed it into the beast, it screaming out in pain.

The girl trembled, backing away from them. Then her footing was loose and she almost fell into the Nile. She looked back, seeing her savior and her Ka battling with each other. Then the demon sent a tsunami at Amaya, catching his Ba with the wave.

Amaya looked over and gasped, swimming towards the girl. By the time she grabbed hold of the girl, Amaya was out of breath and close to drowning. She looked behind her and noticed a waterfall. Amaya gasped and looked around. She swam as fast as she could and grabbed hold of a tree branch that was out into the water. She pulled them in, putting the girl on the banks. "Run! Go off to safety!" Amaya said, still hanging in the water. The girl nodded, leaving her alone.

The girl ran till she got to the top of a hill, overlooking the waterfall. She looked and saw her Ka walking towards Amaya. Suddenly she noticed that her hands were glowing with energy… _**BLAST!**_

Water flew everywhere, falling onto her face. Her former Ka blew up and denigrated into the earth, but the blast sent Amaya flying into the waterfall, falling into the waters below. The girl began to sob, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" She looked, seeing no signs of Amaya._ 'I… didn't even know your name.'_

**Rite of the Celestial Soul **

Malik let out an irritated sigh as he walked around town. _'Gods, I can't find my way around this dusty place,'_ he let out a rough cough. _'Amaya is probably having a ball here, but it's time for her to come back. Now… to find her… how will I do that?'_

He sat down on a rock, away from the hustle and bustle he just came from. He took out his ram stomach and drank more of his water. He looked around, completely exhausted._'I've been walking around for a good 5 hours and still nothing… Amaya's not going to be easy to find.' _He gulped down almost all of his water and decided it was best to save the rest till he got to a well.

He noticed how beautiful and exotic Egypt really was. No wonder Mister Hebitsukai found his wife here. Malik looked out to the Nile, the water glistening from the high sun. He had to admit, the view wasn't too bad. He laid down, his head on the rock, and stared out into the waters, deep in thought. _'Well… Amaya must be having a lot of fun to not notice that it's been a week since she has been gone… I wonder if the Kontar kid got back home.'_ He took out some bread and began to eat it._ 'I'd better get something other than __**this**__,' _he frowned.

He let out a sigh,_'I wonder why my father wants Amaya to do that ritual. It may even extinguish her life… but I don't think he cares about that.' _Malik frowned, throwing a rock into the Nile and watching it ripple away, _and 'I think he just wants her to do it because of me… for an inheritance.'_ Then he heard screaming from behind him, which made him jump to his feet. He saw a house on fire, the residents screaming for help, but no one else seemed to care. _'Well,'_ he thought,_'I know Amaya wouldn't leave those civilians in there. I'd better help.'_

He dashed to the rescue. Without a moment's hesitation, he ran into the burning house. He pulled a mother, father, and three children from the building. With his help, they got the fire extinguished in no time. "Thank you sir!" said the man for saving the only piece of property his family owned.

"That's ok," Malik smiled, "It's the least I can do."

"We're still very grateful." The man exclaimed, "You must join us for the night!"

"Oh," he said, waving his hands in front of his face, "I don't want in intrude."

"For what you've done for us, it's the least we can do," the man smiled. Then he whispered in Malik's ear, "My wife wouldn't mind setting an extra place for you."

"Well, if you put it that way," he shrugged, "I guess I can stay."

"Splendid!" he exclaimed, inviting Malik into the slightly burnt house.

**Rite of the Celestial Soul **

Malik laid on a mat the family put out for him, after the man insisted he spent the night. _'Honestly,' _he thought as he sat in bed and looked up at the dark ceiling, _'I don't know how that guy persuades me to stay.'_ He chuckled to himself, and then sighed. _'It's very kind of them though… like the Hebitsukais have been for my family.'_

He rolled over onto his side, looking at the cracked door, which let a little bit of light shine into the dimed room. _'That family has been like a light in the darkest of places… especially Amaya.'_

Malik curled up tighter, the draft from the outside wind chilling his bones. 'I don't see why Amaya doesn't want to go through with the ritual,' he thought. 'Her father went through with it and the fathers before him… so what's so different with her?'

'_My father told me that this ritual is only for the first borns of the Hebitsukai. When they are a nice young age, they go through the __**Rite of the Celestial Soul**__. According to father, it's to prevent their angelic souls to come out, but it lasts for the rest of their life… Maybe it's why.'_Malik huffed, _'I don't think that's why my father wants Amaya to do it. Something with her bringing us fortunes… but I don't want her fortune. I want to gather __**my**__ own.'_

Malik lifted up his head, hearing two voices in the other room arguing.

"But I'm not so sure about this," said a female voice, the mother of the household. "That man helped save our house."

"Yes," said a deep male voice, the father that invited Malik to stay, "But we were still poor. The kid saving our house doesn't justify the fact that we're close to losing our property… If I lose my job it'll be all over for our family."

"I know," she said, her voice cracked, "but… must we leave our home! Where can we go?... There's nothing for us out there."

The man whispered, almost too low for Malik to hear, "Yes, I do know of a place, The Oasis of Thieves."

The woman gasped, "With them? They would tear our family apart and you know that! I don't want our children being raised by raiders like…"

"Us?" The man sighed, "I know it's not the best option, but the leader himself offered a job for me. It would be a lot better than staying in this village and begging the rest of our lives."

"T-then why our family? Does he know you have a family?"

"Actually, he mentioned the family," He got softer in his voice, ashamed with himself, "Which is why we should go. If they know of my family, then they wouldn't hesitate in eliminating us if I don't say yes."

"But… there is **no** life there for us. Not for our children!" she began to sob, low enough to not wake her children from their sleep.

"I know…" he sighed, "But he did offer me something."

"What's that?"

"If we go with them, they won't lay any harm upon us. You and the kids will be living there with me, but there will be other kids for them to play with and other wives for you to talk with… he talked like it was a paradise _**even**_ for families."

"Does he have a wife?"

"No," he immediately said. "There are harlots around, but if I assure you I won't participate in their sport." His voice got softer, "I'm doing this for you and the kids. If you do not want me to go through with it, I won't."

"NO," she insisted. "I will follow you… _we_ will follow you, if this is what you want to do."

"Yes," he said quietly. Then they went to sleep, blowing out the last remaining candle in her hand.

'_Oasis of Thieves?'_Malik thought to himself, _'That __**would**__be an ideal place for Amaya to go… that __**is**__ her area of expertise… and if she's not there, I may be able to get a clue to where she's hiding.' _

**Rite of the Celestial Soul **

Malik walked back into town, prepared to make the long journey across the desert. He knew getting to the next city would take the rest of the day, so he needed to start early. His stomach grumbled, "Oh great," he quietly said to himself, holding his stomach. He looked over and saw a few food stands. He walked over to them, pretending to look around, and stole an onion and an apple. Quickly putting the food into his bag, he quickly walked away.

As he was coming close to the end of town, there were strings of jewelry stands open for market. On instinct he picked up a few pieces, thinking they could come in handy when he got to the next town. He also found a small knife that would come in handy if the time needed it. Malik came to the end of the town, grabbing his horse that he tied up before he went around town. _'Wow, no one noticed me… either I'm brilliant or they're just plain stupid. Still… I wonder what Amaya would think of me now.'_ He chuckled to himself, jumping onto his horse and riding off into the desert.

As soon as Malik rode off into the desert, the jewelry merchants were beginning to panic that their trinkets were stolen. A group of men were laughing at a local tavern, two of them seeing where the young thief had gone.

"That kid could make a good thief someday."

"Sure," the other said, chugging his brew, "But he needs work. He's too young to know what he's doing."

"But since he's young, he wouldn't make a bad apprentice, would he," he smirked. "Maybe we'll see that guy later."

"Maybe," he shrugged, finished his beer.

**Rite of the Celestial Soul **

**A/N: and now Malik is on the scene. I wonder what Amaya will do now**

**And I've made it suspenseful for you guys =D**


	5. Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan

Yu-Gi-Oh! ©Kazuki Takahashi

OCs:

Hannah © -Psycho04- (if she is still reading my stories!)

Others © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: HEY GUYS! So my friend just finished going over my rough draft. Hopefully there won't be a lot of mistakes ^^;**

**Right now I'm stuck in Chapter 10. I have a lot written out... so I don't know if it'll become 3 or 4 more chapters... We'll just have to wait and see X3 ENJOY!**

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

A body washed up on shore. As it lay there, it twitched. She slowly opened her eyes, intense pain going through her body. She rolled over, onto her back, grabbing her waist in pain. "Uuuhhhh…." she managed to say.

Quickly Amaya sat up, looking at her surroundings, 'I must have gotten washed down with the current.' She held her waist again, the pain not going away. 'The sun seems to be setting… I'd better set up a camp,' and she crawled away, leaving only prints in the sand.

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

She set up camp next to a vacant part of the river. The water was at its weak point, giving no advantages to living here. Nevertheless, there were trees there, for a perfect oasis. Amaya hung up her clothes to dry on the nearest tree, putting on some fresh clothes that she had stored in her bag. By the time the sun set, she had already made a fire and found a place to sleep next to the trees. It wasn't the softest place on earth, but at least she wasn't sleeping in sand.

Amaya lay there, with her hands behind her head. She stared up to the sky thinking about the universe: about her lessons with Canus about being a single star in a whole sky. One star cannot illuminate the sky by themselves, but needs a group of stars have to work together to keep the sky shining. _Then the question always came up, "What about the moon? It's bigger than the stars and can illuminate the sky by itself," but the answer would be, "Still, the moon needs help from the other stars to stay shining down on earth. With just the moon, the sky wouldn't be as vast as it is now. The moon would just be another sun in the sky."_

Amaya smiled to herself, closing her eyes. _'According to Canus, our family book was stolen when mom and I came here. The contents of the book are considered an evil spell book for the living, but for my family it's a different story. Written in the book are spells that we have encountered or came up with throughout the generations, and in the back is our family's life story: from the very first Hebitsukai down to the last telling of their accomplishments and failures. The problem about the book is that it lists __**everything**__ that happens to us. From the moment the first born is brought into the world to their last moments. If an enemy were to get ahold of that book, they would be able to learn secrets about me that __**I**__ don't even know: the secrets of our summonings, the places that we go to, and our background and history. If I let my book stay at the palace, it could get stolen by someone else and used for evil purposes. My job now is to gain the book so I can continue on my mission… and follow my promises.'_

Amaya let out a well-deserved yawn, "I'll go back… in the morning…"

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

"_Father, why can't I steal?" a little girl frowned. _

_Her father grumbled, "It's just not… civil."_

"_What's civil?"_

"_What the society __**says**__ is right and wrong." He grumbled, "What's with the questions?"_

"_I'm sorry father," the girl said with a bow, "It's just… stealing is so natural for me! Why can't I do it anymore?"_

_He looked down and saw the confused twinkle in his daughter's eyes. He let out an annoyed sigh, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know stealing is tempting to do and fighting is part of your nature, but you __**have**__ to control yourself."_

_The girl frowned, "W-what do you do father?"_

_He smiled, "I think 'If I steal from this man what will he be losing? Perhaps you're stealing his only way to get back home… perhaps the money he needs to survive the night… do you understand?"_

_The girl looked down to the ground, "Ok father, I'll try…"_

_He put a hand around her shoulder, walking with her into town._

_Then the sky blacked out and the girl was thrown into a room. Two big men grabbed her and strapped her to a table, her back exposed. A tall man was given a whip, which had broken glass, nails, and other sharp and pointy things attached to the end. _

_The girl looked up. She saw the evil red glow in the man's eyes. She knew what was going to happen now. "P-please," she began to cry, "J-just don't hurt Halima! I'll take twice the lashes she gets! Please! She did nothing wrong! I'm the one who was stealing! __**I'm**__ the thief!" _

_Then she heard a voice in the room. It was low and deep, staying hidden in the shadows. "If you don't whip her Malleolus, someone else will. And believe me, she would experience even more pain then she does now."_

"_Ramses, I-I –"_

"_If you don't whip her __**yourself**__, she'll die."_

_She looked up into his eyes, tears of sadness rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."_

_He raised his whip, about the strike. _

"_I'm sorry… daddy…"_

_The whip flew down and struck her skin._

Amaya let out a scream into the night. She froze, looking out into the sand. She flinched, feeling the stinging sensation on her back. "F-father," she whimpered, a tear falling down her face. "I-I'm sorry… I'm a good-for-nothing thief… and that's all I'll ever be."

Then she rolled on her side and closed her eyes, praying to the gods that her nightmares wouldn't come back that night.

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

Amaya jumped off of Thunder and ran as fast as she could towards the Pharaoh's Palace. She didn't stop to hesitate about going back and coming up with a different plan; she had already decided what to do. Quickly hiding in the shadows, she made it into the palace. As if there was a map in her mind, she wandered the corridors like a blood hound on a strong scent. At last she came to the library and opened the door.

The room was pitch black and filled with books, but she knew which one was her book. Amaya walked to the stand where the book sat. The big golden eye on the front of the book began to glow in the presence of its owner. She hesitated, but picked the book up and ran out the door, leaving the palace behind.

Amaya jumped onto Thunder and began to ride off into the desert. Then she heard, "Thief! The Spell Book has been stolen!"

She smirked, _'So that's what you've called my book, huh,' _and she rushed deep into the desert, Thunder running as fast as he could over the first dune. Then the dune began to move, knocking Amaya off of her horse. A monster came out of the sand, swiping at them. Amaya backed up, pushing Thunder back behind her. _'Must be the Pharaoh's doing,' _she frowned.

Her hands glowed and a scythe appeared in them. The shine from the blade reflected in the monster's eyes, making it flinch. Amaya ran up to it, her scythe ready, and slashed at the monster, falling to the ground. She smirked,_ 'Such a low level Ka,'_ and she slashed again, throwing the monster off balance. She looked back, feeling a pain in her chest, _'But I'd better go easy… I've still not recovered from before.'_

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

A group of palace guards and two high priests rode up to the scene. They watched as a cloaked man weaved through the monster's attacks and brought it down. It confused them because they didn't know where that shadow monster had come from.

"Shada what do you see in that man's soul," asked the other high priest.

Shada's Millennium Key looked into the man's soul. Shada flinched and jumped back, falling off of his horse. The other priest's eyes went wide, as Shada helped himself up. "T-that Ka… so powerful… I've never seen anything **like** it!"

The other priest took out his millennium item, looking into his soul. He clutched his chest, alarmed of its power. "There's so much evil in there!" he gasped.

"But," continued Shada, "I believe that Ka isn't all bad… It seems to be a twist of good and evil."

"Good and evil Ka…" he thought, "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Well, in our era, we're going to find out."

Then the man caused the monster to burst into flames, sending it plummeting to the earth. It screamed in pain, and then disappeared. The man got to his feet, taking a few steps to his horse, but then collapsed into the sand, his energy exhausted. The group rode up to the Amaya as the black horse ran off into the desert, fearing the worst.

The high priests jumped from their horses, walking up to the body. They rolled him over, revealing a woman, with black/purple messy hair. Her hair was mostly black, but had slightly some purple pigments. Even though she defeated the monster, she was tired. "Let's bring her to the palace and study her Ka. There may be some valuable information we can learn from her," the other said.

"I'm not so sure about this," Shada hesitated. "It could bring bad luck."

"Well what I want to know is… why steal the Millennium Book?" he said, picking up the book from her sack.

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

Amaya woke up with a startle. A person next to her bed flinched. She looked over and saw a young maiden with light brown hair and yellow/honey eyes, obviously a servant by her outfit. She had been tending to her wounds, but Amaya would have none of that. She pushed her away so she would back off. Amaya growled, "Where am I?"

"Y-you're in the Pharaoh's Palace… my lady."

Amaya frowned. She looked around the room. She was in one of the extra rooms in the palace, hidden from most people. It wasn't the fanciest or biggest rooms, but it was a room to herself. "Why am I _here_ and not in jail?"

The woman blinked, confused. "Go to jail?... Did you do something wrong?"

She was quiet. _'So she wasn't told… is my theft being kept a secret around here?'_

The woman smiled, taking a wet cloth from a bucket near her bed and stained the water out. Amaya watched her, noticing she was about the same age she was; about the age where young maidens back in Rome would be married off and begin living in their husband's house. "Master Mahado saved you."

Amaya looked at her confused.

She smiled, "Master Mahado is a high-priest in the Pharaoh's court. He's one of his best influential priests and a trusted friend." She looked at Amaya, who was still deep in thought. "May I leave you now? I must go about with the rest of my chores."

Amaya nodded and the maiden turned her back. "Wait," Amaya quickly said. "What's your name?"

"I was given the name Hannah by my father… May I ask what's yours?"

"… You can call me Layla, for now."

Hannah smiled and left the room, leaving Amaya with her thoughts. She was grateful that the _Pharaoh_ was taking care of her, _'but… why? What do I have that they want?'_ and she rolled back on her side, trying to get back to sleep.

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

Mahado and Shada walked down the halls of the royal palace. "But I'm not so sure about this new girl," Shada frowned.

"What are you afraid of? Her Ka?" Mahado smiled, "One of the servants told me about her and told me that she seems to be a nice woman."

"Yes… but having a thief living in the palace? That can only lead to disaster!"

"That may be true Shada," he began to explain, looking around and making sure no one would hear him, "but you've seen her Ka. It's powerful. What if her Ka rivals that of the gods?... Perhaps she is a god reincarnate? If so we must give her our undivided attention to keep her from running amuck and destroying this land."

"I guess… but didn't you say that her Ka was evil?" Shada smirked.

"I'm just consenting to what you've told me. Perhaps her Ka is good _**and**_ evil. That's even more of a reason to watch her. See how she develops here in the palace," Mahado sighed, "but her evil may be too powerful for us to control. That's why we _must_ keep an eye on her to prevent a tragedy."

"I see," Shada smiled. "Maybe you **can** turn a thief into a model citizen… but how?"

"I don't know," Mahado sighed, "but we must try." He looked around the room, seeing the guards and servants hustling by, "What I want to know is, why she stole a spell book and not jewels? What does this book have that's so important to her?"

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

Amaya walked out of the palace, into their courtyard. She walked out into the moonlight, the florescent glow illuminating her very being. In its rays were the only times she ever felt refreshed and at peace with herself.

She frowned; she couldn't sleep. _'Every second I stay here is a waste! I can't keep stalling and standing around… it won't help me in the long run.'_

Amaya looked on and saw a big pond, the water came from the Nile and flowed back into the Nile. She sat down and watched the fish swim around, happy and carefree from any predators that will try to harm them. She smiled, _'I wish I could be like them… without a care in the world…'_

She looked towards the pond again and saw a shadow. She stiffened. Amaya pulled out a knife and turned around, holding it in the shadow's direction. She saw a tall man, about in his 20s. He wore gold on his outfit, indicating that he was important. "Who are you?" she growled.

"I am Mahado," he said with a polite bow.

Amaya lowered her knife, but still kept her threatening eyes on him. "Why am I here and not in jail? Why are you interested in me?"

"Why did you steal the book and nothing else?"

Amaya hissed, "That's none of your business!"

Mahado put out his hands in defense. "Look, I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help you." Amaya looked at him unsure, not putting her defenses down. "You seem like a nice girl, let's make a deal."

Amaya raised her eyebrow, "What's your proposal?"

"Stay here and be one of my servants here at the palace. In exchange I'll let you read the Millennium Book during the afternoons, after evening prayers and before bed."

She frowned, not impressed.

"It'll be a way for you to stay off the streets… plus you'll get more food and drink then you can handle if you stay. You've probably had it hard, making thieving your profession. If you stay here you can get away from that…"

"Fine I accept," but then Amaya put up her pointer finger, "but only on _one_ condition."

Mahado smiled, "What is your one condition?"

"**Don't** ask me about my **business**," she hissed.

**Ancient Book of the Hebitsukai Clan**

**A/N: **

**I hope you guys like my story! I'm working very hard on it!**

**Now Amaya is in the palace. What will she do now? And what about that ritual she has to do? Does that book have anything to do with it? Well… you'll have to found out later =P**


	6. Slave Work Is Never Done

Yu-Gi-Oh! ©Kazuki Takahashi

OCs:

Hannah © -Psycho04- (if she is still reading my stories!)

Others © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: Who is reading my story? I don't know if I have an audience or not ^^; Either way, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**Slave Work Is Never Done**

Amaya followed the young Hannah through the halls of the palace. She was showing her what her duties were and a few other chores that go about in the place. "And here is where Master Mahado's room is. You clean so there's no dust and take the bed sheets and his dirty clothes to the washer every morning…"

Amaya nodded, bored. She felt like she was going to fall to sleep. Hannah helped Amaya bring the fabric, which, by the way, was very soft, to a big room where women were cleaning the clothes. Amaya knelt down, slightly frustrated, and began washing the clothes. Hannah smiled. "There, you're getting the hang of it."

"It's not like I _haven't_ cleaned clothes before," she growled, venom in her voice. Amaya sat there, scrubbing as hard as she could._ 'Gods, this is going to take me forever to do!... and I still have more stuff to do!'_ Amaya kept grumbling under her breath, annoyed with this work she had to do. It wasn't like she minded it; just the fact that this was someone **else's** mess ticked her off. Then she noticed a shift next to her. Hannah sat down and began scrubbing the sheets. "You don't have to do that," she hesitated.

"It's ok. You'll be here **forever** if you don't have some help," Hannah giggled.

Amaya smiled, directing her attention back to her work. "So are you one of Mahado's servants?"

"No," Hannah kindly said. "And you say _Master_ at the beginning of the name."

"Ok, _**Master**_ Hannah," Amaya smirked, causing Hannah's face to go bright red with fury. "So… who?"

"I was one of Master Seto's servants, but now I work for his younger sister."

Amaya nodded, even though she didn't clearly know who she was talking about. "Well ok." She stood up, hanging the fabrics out to dry in the hot sun. Hannah followed, looking over to her.

"That's it for you to do… now I have to do my chores," Hannah groaned.

Amaya frowned. The day was almost spent and Hannah hadn't done any of her chores. She had mostly been helping her out with getting acquainted around the palace. "Well don't worry!" she smirked, "I'll help you!"

"R-really?" Hannah beamed. "I-I don't want to be a bother."

Amaya flung a hand over Hannah's shoulder, "Think of it as a 'You've helped me, now I help you' type of deal," she smiled. Hannah nodded, happy to have made a friend. Amaya pulled her along, "Now… where are we going?" Hannah giggled.

**Slave Work Is Never Done**

As they walked down the hall, they ran into a group of women giggling. They were wearing the same clothes they were, but looked down on them. "Hey girls, look at almighty Hannah! She seems to have made a friend. How adorable!" one of them commented. The rest of them giggled.

The girl walked over to Amaya, looming over her, "So aren't you weird? I like those purple highlights in your hair. Did your mommy do them?" The coarse remark made the rest of the girls laugh.

Amaya growled as the girl walked back to her group. Her hands curled up in a fist, ready to strike. Hannah put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head no. Amaya lowered her hands, but then smirked. "Hey!" she yelled to the girl. She turned around, stubbornly. "Your hair is very beautiful with that yellow-brown look."

She erotically smiled, touching her hair, "Well thanks –"

"Were you thrown in the mud? That brown doesn't seem natural. Do you think it's natural Hannah?"

Hannah shook her head, "No Layla. It seems dirty to me."

"Yah, I think you need a bath. And, _Whuh!_" she said, putting her hand to her nose. "That smell of yours is atrocious. I hope you can sell back that perfume you're using. It's disgusting!"

The woman let out a gasp, beginning to cry. The rest of the women slaves comforted her. "Hey," one of them began to say, "That's not very nice!"

Amaya smirked, "Then don't insult me and expect that I don't make an insult back. Seriously, is everyone too imprudent here to know that?"

They left, leaving Amaya and Hannah standing there. Hannah rubbed her arm. "Wow… I've never done something like that before."

Amaya chuckled, lightly punching her on the shoulder, "Try it sometime. A little torment to evil doers is good for the soul," and she walked away, carrying a basket in her arms.

Hannah looked down in shame, and then looked up with a kind smile. She ran, catching up with Amaya.

A priest was leaning against a post, unseen by the mournful women walking by. _'That girl has a vicious tongue. She's going to have to learn to hold it!... Though it'll be nice to have someone around here who __**doesn't**__ think the world revolves around them.'_

**Slave Work Is Never Done**

Amaya followed closely behind Hannah, who was following the rest of the crowd. "Where are we going?" she whispered.

"Evening prayers," Hannah whispered back.

"… Why?"

She let out a sigh, "To pray to the gods, of course. Haven't you done stuff like this?"

Amaya shrugged, "I guess…" though she couldn't come up with any times when she prayed to an inanimate object.

They walked into a temple and everyone knelt down. At the altar, even the Pharaoh knelt to the statues. Confused, Amaya knelt as the others did, though she had no idea why. She looked up. The statue looked to be of a man holding a scepter… with a hat/crown on his head. There were other gods around, but this temple was to the god Amun. There was a woman and a half-human, half-falcon god. She wondered where that jackal guy was. That god was her favorite.

As they walked out of the temple, Amaya let out an annoyed sigh, obviously bored. Hannah looked over at her, "So… how was it?"

"Religion is boring," she immediately commented. "I'm sorry if you believe in that… but I just think it's stupid."

Hannah let out a sigh, "Well, I thought you did stuff like this. You know, pray to gods and such."

"I go." Amaya shrugged, "Just not _**every day**_. Only during ceremonies and festivals… though my favorite god to celebrate is Bacchus," she giggled.

"Why? What does that god do?" Hannah asked, curious.

"Oh, just the God of Wine," Amaya smirked.

Hannah looked at her repulsed. "Layla!"

"I never said it was a _**good**_ thing," she chuckled. Then she looked at everyone else. They seemed to be retreating back to their quarters, but it wasn't time for Amaya to head back yet. "Umm, Hannah," she began, stopping.

"What?" Hannah asked with worry.

"I-I have to go somewhere… but I'll be back before bedtime!" she said, fooling around with her hands.

Hannah let out a sigh, "Should I come with you?"

"No," she shook her head. "Just run along. I have to… do something."

Hannah looked at her with worry, but complied and followed the rest of the slaves as they head to the servant quarters.

**Slave Work Is Never Done**

Amaya walked weary into Mahado's room. She looked in to find him talking to a young sorcerer in training. They both looked up, noticing Amaya's presence. "Could you wait outside? I'm with a student."

"Fine," she frowned, walking out. If he hadn't been her master, she would have just walked in and kept bothering them. Instead she sat with her back leaning on the wall, completely tired. She was close enough to hear them, but far away for them to no hear her.

"Now Mana, what have you done today?"

"Ummm, train?" she giggled.

He crossed his arms, "Oh really? Well let's see a spell."

Mana frowned. She waved her wand and said a few quick words. Then Amaya heard a _pewsh_ and then heard flopping noises. "Oops!" she giggled.

Mahado sighed, "If you can't summon a simple creature _properly_ how are you going to master your skills and become a full-fledged sorcerer?"

"I-I'm trying, Master," Mana sighed. "It's just… it's hard to control our kas and our bas… is there a simpler way?"

"No," he let out a humph. "… Here let's try this exercise. Put your wand down… Now hold out your hands." Amaya followed what Mahado said, deciding to play along in the game. "Close your eyes… now take deep breaths. Breath in… breath out… breath in… breath out… now concentrate... Force your energy into your hands..."

"I-it's not working Master!"

"Try harder," Mahado sighed, keeping calm.

Amaya closed her eyes and concentrated, her hands beginning to glow with her vigor. She opened her eyes, let out a deep breath.

"Master, what is that sound I'm hearing?"

Amaya gasped, stopping the flow of energy to her hands. She sat there, bringing her legs to her chest and hoping they didn't go out and investigate.

"Probably nothing… so Mana, listen to me. Do that exercise before every practice. It'll help improve your control, ok?"

"Ok Master," she giggled.

Amaya stood up as they walked to the door, giving them a polite bow. Mana giggled and looked at her before skipping happily away. Amaya walked in the room, her etiquette gone in a flash, "So where's the book?"

Mahado pointed to the book, which was sitting on his desk. Immediately she walked over, sat in his chair, putting her book on her lap, and propped her feet up on his desk. He let out a sigh, noticing how he wouldn't be able to talk to her, and sat down on his bed, tired. It had been a long day for him: guarding tombs, keeping robbers away from the city, and looking for evil wherever he could find it. Of course keeping the Millennium Ring he had around his neck in check, but still, everything else took its toll too. At the end of the day, he just wanted to sleep. Except now he had a new experiment, to see what lived in this girl's soul.

He looked over at Amaya with curiosity. "So… what are you reading?"

"I told you," Amaya said sternly, "I'm not going to tell you what I'm doing; it contradictory to your agreement. If I tell you what I'm doing, I'll have to leave."

Mahado frowned, letting out a yawn. Then he decided to start a conversation with her. "So, do you know what I was doing with my apprentice?"

"Just energy exercises. Old parlor tricks," she shrugged.

"Just parlor tricks?" Mahado raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"I could do them in my sleep."

"Oh really," he crossed his arms; "I'd like to see you try."

Amaya put out a hand towards him, her eyes not leaving the book. Quickly it began to glow, a dark shade of purples, blues, and even black. Then she stopped, her hand back on the book, "See, easy."

Mahado let out a sigh, his plan not working. Then he got curious, peaking over her shoulder.

Amaya let out a growl, slamming the book shut. "This is none of your business! Whatever I do with the book has nothing to do with you, ok?"

He quickly backed off, "I get it. Sorry Layla!" He retreated back to his bed, sitting down and looking out the window. "It's almost time for bed."

Amaya looked outside the window. The sun was almost gone and the stars were beginning to show themselves. She shrugged, putting her feet on the ground, "I guess so… well for you."

Mahado raised an eyebrow, while she smirked at him. Amaya stood up, just leaving the room without a courtesy bow. He scratched his head, taking off his headdress. "… What am I going to do with that girl?" he frowned.

**Slave Work Is Never Done**

Amaya walked outside into the garden. The steps were right next to the servants' quarters, so why not? She stood and looked to the sky. She closed her eyes, feeling the wind blow gently against her face. She let out a deep sigh, _'Oh my chores… my responsibilities… the longer I stay here, the more time I waste. I think I have another half of a yearly cycle before I __**have**__ to do the ceremony, but will I be ready by then?... If I can find the item my father left before he died, I may still have a chance… just… is my life here a good thing to have? Am I doing the right thing for __**everyone**__?'_

Her eyes opened slightly as she looked to the ground. _'Canus is really pushing me to do this ceremony, but he's also pushed me into doing things I haven't wanted to do: to not steal, to learn to fight, and to stay in Rome. If I had my way, I would have left years ago… or never came back. I never wanted to leave here… Leave the few friends I've made here… so few…' _She chuckled to herself,_ 'I wonder how that Akefia kid is doing. Is he still around?... Is he alive?'_

"Layla!" Hannah yelled from the quarters, "Come to bed!"

Amaya looked over at her, let out an exhausted sigh. Hannah walked back into the building, leaving Amaya out in the cold. She looked back to the sky, sadness dwelling in her eyes. _'Are you still out there?... Meus Socius?...' _She let out a sigh, leaving the frigid air and walking into the building.

**Slave Work Is Never Done**

From the other side of the Nile, two men watched the magnificent palace. What they were most likely watching was a young servant girl walking out into the chilly wind. "Dang! The Pharaoh gets all the hot chicks!" he panted.

The other one shrugged, "Yah, I guess…" What he was interested in wasn't a girl, but everything the Pharaoh owns. If he can see it, it's a reason for him to steal it. That's the rule for being a desert thief.

The problem tonight was that girl standing in the garden: her black, with a slight tint of purple, hair blowed gently in the breeze, her body seemed to be illuminating in the moonlight as if the moon was attracted to her, and her eyes seemed so… sad. How could a servant of the palace be sad? They had everything in their fingertips! If they wanted, they could kill the Pharaoh and no one could figure it out. Just _'… what is she thinking?... What are her thoughts?...'_

"Sir?" the other asked, noticing his mind wandering off. "Don't tell me you're attracted to that girl," he smirked.

"No," he simply said, looking back to the girl. She was looking towards the palace, obviously being called too. "I was just thinking… I think it's best that we wait till **later **to raid here. The Pharaoh must have guards everywhere, even where he sleeps. If we are to steal from him, we'll need to get men on the inside… That will take time. I'm thinking we should wait a while before we try to take over. Get some men established in their lines of work, some close to the Pharaoh, so we have an easier chance to strike and **not** get penalized."

He nodded, "Good idea. Plus we have other places to raid, so this one can be left alone… for now." He got up and walked to their horses, hidden behind the dunes.

The man looked back, looking towards the girl. She was looking to the moon, her eyes filled with sadness. He let out a sigh. For some reason, he felt a slight pain in his chest. Usually it came later at night while he's asleep, but not this early. _'Who is she?...'_

He turned at the same time the slave girl turned around to the palace. He jumped onto his horse, riding off into the dunes. He looked back, a wishful thought in his eyes, before braving the terrible sandstorm.

**Slave Work Is Never Done**

**A/N: **

"**Meus Socius" – Latin – "My Companion" **

**Hopefully it's the right translation ^^;**

**XD Amaya kicks female butt! Don't screw around with her!**

**Another group of characters will show up… I wonder who =O**

**And also, what are those two men doing there? Why is there a connection?... ^^ Well, you'll be finding out later! XP**


End file.
